Md. County Considers Legal Aid for Undocumented Residents

Montgomery County officials are discussing spending $374,000 on attorneys for residents facing deportation. A public hearing is scheduled for next month. News4's Chris Gordon reports. (Published Tuesday, April 17, 2018)

What to Know

A Maryland county is considering whether it will fund lawyers for immigrants facing deportation.

The county council is discussing spending $374,000 on the effort.

Montgomery County is considering whether it will fund lawyers for immigrants facing deportation.

The Montgomery County Council discussed Tuesday whether it will spend $374,000 on the effort. The Washington Post reports deportation proceedings are civil matters, not criminal. As such, people facing deportation aren't entitled to publicly funded legal representation.

“We have all said that we are not going to stand by while the Trump administration intimidates and terrorizes and victimizes a very substantial part of our population,” Council Member George Leventhal said.

The funding would apply to those facing deportation with a household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level who haven't been convicted of serious crimes including rape or murder.

The council is scheduled to host a public hearing on May 1 before making a decision. If approved, the county will join the city of Baltimore and Prince George's County as jurisdictions that fund legal representation for immigrants facing deportation.